Method and apparatus for handling well casings



METHOD AN-D APPARATUS FOR HANDLING WELL CASINGS Filed May 7, 3,923

Patented Aug. 12, 1924.

U NIT ED .S T AFT ES PATENT oFF-lion.

CHARLES R. BROWN, OF'BR'E'A, CALIIiORIIfI.l

METHODlAND APPARATUS- FUR .HANDLINGWLL CSN(EFS.Y

Application ined May-v, i923. vserial 637,191f.

nprovide'y a isiniple', i eeotive and Vimproved method' :of .this 1 generalicharacter.

In drilling Wells the ,casi-nge are usually 15 handled by fslips and elevators, the-slips be fing' Wedge devices that'engagerthe casings at' points spaced. Abelow .the couplings y so that ,the-couplings ican ybe .engagednby the eleva- ;tor's, `and Ythe elevators being devices `that engage around. the .casings under ,the couplings -and between the couplings and fslipsfto'littforiinove the casingsby engaging vunder the coupling;A The elevators 'operateV `reliably@and effectively andare reasonably convenentfto handle, but' .the .slips .are fnot Aso reliable,` are injurious .to casings andere inconvenient to handle.

It is an lobject -of 4this' inventionwto provide a 1 simple, eiiectiveimethod 'of VAhandling a casi-ng `Without frictionally engaging but rclainpingit with slips, or the like, and Without `straining orinj'uring' either the casing or thecouplings.A

-Another-object of myV invention is to v.provide a simple, eil'fective` and vconvenientapparat'us for carrying outv the process.

vAnother vobject fof the inventionl isto l.provide a form ortype offelevatorsuitableasa lp'art'of 'the apparatus that may bensed in carrying' out-thefprocess.

The. obj eots and features loithis invention `will be best andmore fully un'derstood'from the following detaileddescri'ption ofi/atypicalpreferir-idl forni and carrying out" thereof, ftlrloughout which description referenceis had to the accompanying drawings, in Which:

Fig. 1 is a view showing the tableofla typical `rotary Well drillingl apparatus, 'the table'havinga casing' arranged kthrough it :an'dwsupported in the manner provided by this.' invention, i the elevator provided `by the invention being, shown in closed position "immediately over the casing;

Fig 2-1s an enlargedfslde elevation of the H .elevator provided vbythe invention;

-Fig. 3"-is ,an enlarged detail sectional view of theN elevator;

QFig. 4risaplan view of the elevator, beinga View talienas lindicated by .the line-L on l4`i'g.n Si; fand Fig. 5 is La plan section, taken as indicated by Athe :line-:5 5 on Fig. 3.

In thefdraavings, numeral l()v designates the taOble of kta :typicalirotary drilling .apparatuaaand numeral 11:.designates a typical `Well casing, :shown in Fig. :1,arranged :through the :table l0 in thexusual. manner.

@natheV upper kend .of the ,casing l0 there is -a...c0upling l/Qlof the type rordinarily ein- :ployedat'o"join sections of casings. I have illustrated .in the ydrawingsv a 'rotary drilling fapparatuspland will lhereinafter refer to a table', or. thetabldo'f a rotary `drilling apparatus :merely to facilitate ,a clear and vaccurate.'understanding' of my present invention, itbeing understood, however, that the anfvention :may lbe carried out in sltua- 'tion'slWhere other types of 'Well drilling apparat'us are used,and that it is in no way lnnitedoi'f'restricted 1n its scopeor range of application `'to any form or type ofdrilling apparatus.

, In'vaecordan'ce `with the method provided by my invention, fori handlingathe casing 1l, :the ,casingisihandled Wholly through the coupling 1Q vor :otherprojecting part that .nay'occur 'o'nthe-casing, and be the equiva'lent ofthe 'coupling' l2. The method provides for supporting or holding the casing in 'the table'zby engaging under the coupling at "spaced points, apreierably at points sub- -stiantia'lly diametrlcally` opposite each other,

and'it provides for lmoving the casing by en- "gaglng `the coupling 1Q, and morepartioularly byrengag'ing underthe coupling 12, at

lthe points between the points by Which it is'held. y

"Infaccordance with the present method, a lcasing" lQheingfli'eld b'y'eng-aging under the coupling 12 at the upper end of the casing may be moved or lifted by engaging under said coupling at the points between the points from which it is held, and when the casing vhas .been` lifted until a coupling below its upper end is above the table the casing may be again supportedor held by engaging underk the last mentioned coupling It will thus be seen that a casing, or, more properly, a string of casing, can be handled in the desired mannerby the present method without the employment of slips orother means to engage the casing at points spaced below the couplings, in order to allow tor operation ofthe elevator. Y

j The 'apparatus'. provided `for carrying out the method includes, generally, a supporting device 14 andan elevator 15. The supporting device 14 .takesthe place ofslips and has prop parts 1G adapted to engage under the coupling 12 at Vspacedpoints to support the Vcasing in the manner clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. HThe device 14 is preferably so designedV that the props 'are movable into and outofp'osition where they will engage under the coupling 12 to support the casing so that they can be actuated to allow free movement of the casing in 4either direction when so de'- sired, 0r to engage under the coupling to out my invention, and in itthe props 12 are pivotally ycarried' by a. frame 17 and are adapted to be actuated by means of a handle 181 "This particular form or type of supporting device is more Vfully described and l is made the subject of my copending application entitled Support for well casing, tiled Von even Vdate herewith, Serial No. 637,190.

The elevator 15, in accordance with my -presentinventiomv is provided with supporting parts 2O adapted to engage under the Vcoupling Yatthfe spaced points and between the points where the coupling is engaged by the supportingdevice. In the particular elevator illustrated in the drawings, the supporting parts 20 are relatively movable so that they canv be'release'd. from the position where they will engage under the coupling to rallow for the elevator being arranged on Y and removed from the casing and coupling.

ln this particular application l make reference .indetail to this particular type of elevator, and I have claimed this particular rectly connected but are connected through flange parts 31 which extend outwardly and around. from the sides of the supporting parts and are pivotally connected together at one side of the elevator by pivotpin 32 and are releasably connected together at the kother side of the elevator by a suitable latch device 33. When the elevator is in place around a coupling and casing the inner walls 34 of the supporting parts more or less closely engage the casing at suli staiitial ly diainetrically opposite points, while there is a substantial space 35 between the flange parts 81 and the casing to allow `l'or the i'eception ol? the prop parts lo olf the supporting device. When the elevator is arranged around a casing and coupling and the latch 33, which, by the way, may be ot any suitable type or form and need not be ot the T- type whichl have illustrated in the drawings, is closed the structure which l have just described completely eiicircles the casing, is strong and rigid and has spaced parts, the shoulder-30, adapted to engage under the coupling to carry the casing in a particularly secure and reliable manner. The langes and supporting parts aie preferably cast or otherwise formed integrally, as l have shown in the drawings, so that the structure isparticularly rigid and solid,

Above the supporting parts 2O and flanges 31 I provide guide parts which come together as l have illustrated in Fig. 4 to conipletely encircle the coupling when the device is applied to the casing and coupling. The guide parts are proportioned so that they inore'or less closely liton the coupling and thereby operate to steady or brace the elevator in position and malte it impossible for the elevator to shift or move in a manner to allow the coupling to become displaced from the shoulders 80. The guide parts 35 are preferably formed integral with the other parts above described, as l have illustrated throughoutthe drawings. The elevator is provided with suitable suspension means 40 which, in the particular case illustrated in the drawings, comprises bails 41 carried by suitable ears 42 extending trom the two sections o'f the elevator.

From the foregoing description of the method provided by this invention, and

Afrom the detailed description of the confill props 16. lt will be obvious, of course, that theV various parts, Ylor instance7 the props, the supporting parts and the :flange parts 31, may bel designed and proportioned so that the supporting parts 2O will be guided into position between the props 16 upon the elevator being closed so, that the elevator can be handled in the same manner any other elevator'. Before releasing the elevator from the casing and coupling the casing is lowered or positioned so that the props 16 of the support'ng'device are engaged under a coupling. The coupling engaged by the props does not, of course, have to be the coupling engaged by the elevator although it may be, as will be apparent from the toregoing description.

Having described only a typical prel'erred form ot my invention l do not wish to limit myself to the specific details hereinabove set forth but wish` to reserve to myself any changes or va-riations that may appear to those skilled in the art or fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, l claim:

l. The hereindescribed method of handling a casing with a coupling on it including, l'iolding the casing by engaging under the coupling spaced points, and moving the casing by engaging under the coupling at points between those mentioned.

2. The hereindescribed method ot handling a casing with a coupling on it including, holding` Vthe casing by engaging the coupling, and moving the casing by engaging the same coupling.

The hereindcscribed method handling a casing with a coupling on it including, holding and moving the casing wholly through the coupling substantially as described.

4. The hereindescribed method of handling a casing with a coupling on it including, holding` the casing by engaging under the coupling at substantially diametrically opposite points, and moving the casing by engagingI under the coupling at points between those first mentioned.

5. Apparatus tor handling u casing with a coupling on it including, a prop adapted to engage under the coupling to hold it, and a movable support adapted to engage under the coupling to move it.

(i. Apparatus ttor handling a casing with a coupling on it including, a prop adapted to be carried by stationary support to engage under the coupling, and an elevating support adapted to ein fe under the coupling.

.1. .ripparatus iter handling` a casing with a coupling on it including, two relatively movable ports adapted to handle the casing by engaging under the coupling, one part being a relatively stationary prop and the other being a movable elevating part.

8. An elevator for a casing having acoupling on `it including, two spaced parts adapted to engage under the coupling.

9. lin elevator for a casing having a4 coupling on it including, two spaced supporting` parts each having a shoulder adapted to engage under the coupling.

l0. in elevator 'tor a casing having a coupling on it including, two supporting parts having shoulders to engage under the coupling at spaced points.

11. An elevator for a casing having a coupling on it including, supporting parts adapted to be assembled around the casing and having parts to engage under the coupling at spaced points.

i2. lin elevator tor a casing having a coupling on it including, two pivotally connected parts adapted to be arranged around the casing, the parts having spaced shoul ders to engagel under the coupling.

13. An elevator l'or a casing having a coupling on it including, two spaced supporting parts adapted to engage under the couplino', and flange parts connecting the supporting parts and being spaced from the casing.

14. in elevator' lior a casing having a coupling on it including, two spaced sup.- porting parts 'adapted to engage under the coupling, flange parts extending outwardly and around 'trom the supporting parts, the flange parts at one side oic the elevator being pivotally connected to ether, and means tor re-leasably connecting tie flange parts at the other side of the elevator.

15. An elevator for a casing having a 'coupling on it including, two spaced supporting parts adapted to engage under the coupling, and means for guiding the supporting parts in position with relation to the coupling.

i6. An elevator for a casing having a coupling on it including, two relatively movable spaced supporting parts adapted to be arranged to engage under the coupling, and means Yfor bracing the supporting parts in position with relation to the coupling.

1?. An elevator for a casing having a coupling on it including, two spaced supporting part-s adapted to engage under the coupling, and guide parts above the supporting parts to engage the coupling,

18. in elevator tor a casing having a coupling on it including, two relatively movable spaced supporting parts adapted to be arranged to engage under the coupling, and guideparts adapted to embrace the coupling when the supporting parts are in position to engage under the coupling.

V1.9. n elevator for a casing having a coupling on it including, two spaced supporting parts adapted to engage under the coupling, flange parts extending outwardly and around from the supporting parts, the

flange parte at one side of the elevator be- 1n Witness that I claim the foregoing I ing pivotgtlly connected together, means for have hereunto subscribed my name this 18th releasaloly connecting the flange parts at the day of April, 1923. other' siderof the elevator, and guide parts adapted to engage around the coupling When the Supporting parts are in position uncle-r CHAS. R. BROWN. Witnesses V:

MABLE MCGEE, i the coupling. Y

H. J. PHILLIPS. 

